Chesapeake Bay Program Approves New Methods for Pollution “Credits” to Stream Restorations

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - May 31, 2013 - PRLog -- Ellicott City, MD, May 28, 2013- States and jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are developing plans to meet pollution limits established by EPA in December 2010 to restore the Bay.  Included in these strategies are “stream restoration” projects, which repair eroding banks, restore natural hydrology and re-create habitat for wildlife.  To account for the nutrients and sediment removed by these and other practices, the Chesapeake Bay Program assembles expert panels to review available data and recommend crediting protocols. On May 13, 2013, the Bay Program’s Water Quality Goal Implementation Team approved recommendations from the stream restoration expert panel, which first convened in 2012.

The panel, led by the Chesapeake Stormwater Network and the Center for Watershed Protection, was comprised of 15 experts in stream geomorphology and stream and floodplain restoration. The panel opted to throw out the idea of a universally applied credit and instead recommended three different protocols for defining the pollutant reduction of individual stream restoration projects. Using this approach, local stream restoration projects may qualify for one or more of the following credits:

Prevention of stream channel or bank erosion during storm flow

In-stream and riparian nutrient processing during base flow

Reconnection of streams to their floodplains

The panel also defined qualifying conditions for projects and basic reporting, tracking and verification procedures. The protocols are currently being tested for six months to evaluate their utility on real-world projects and gather information that can be used to help refine the methods and help communities apply them.  It is recommended by the panel that the interim pollutant removal rate for stream restoration (approved by the Bay Program in January 2012) be used as a planning tool to assess stream restoration strategies at the municipal level, while the protocols contained in the panel report can then be used to define specific removal rates for individual stream restoration projects.

Bill Stack, Deputy Director of Programs at the Center for Watershed Protection and a co-lead on the expert panel, emphasizes the importance of the panel’s work. “The expert panel review process provides a mechanism for reviewing existing credits and considering emerging practices, many of which can reduce costs for local governments. The new stream restoration crediting process allows municipalities to use local site data and will result in much greater estimates of sediment and nutrient reduction credits than before. “

The full report is available at www.cwp.org Go to Online Watershed Library, Free Center Publications, Other Resources.

The Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering responsible land and water management through applied research, direct assistance to communities, award-winning training, and access to a network of experienced professionals. The Center is your first source for best practices in stormwater and watershed management. The Center was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Ellicott City, Maryland.  As national experts in stormwater and watersheds, our strength lies in translating science into practice and policy, providing leadership across disciplines and professions. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to protect and restore our streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and bays, go to www.cwp.org